The present invention pertains generally to illuminated archery and gun sights and in particular to such a sight having light collecting capabilities.
In low light conditions, as in the early morning or late afternoon, the sighting of an archery bow on a target is rendered difficult by reduced demarcation between sight and target. Illuminated sights are found in the prior art with certain of the prior art sights utilizing an artificial light source such as a battery illuminated bulb or diode while other illuminated sights have relied upon the collection of natural light conducted to the bead of a sight pin as in the illuminated sight disclosed in the present inventor's earlier issued U.S. Pat. No. 4,928,394. In such a sight ambient light is collected at a point remote from that end of a light transmitting fiber optic constituting a bead of the sight. The fiber optic being rooted through a tubular pin termed a sight pin. A number of such sight pins are adjustably mounted on a bracket with each sight pin associated with a target distance.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,220,983 utilizes a light-emitting diode disposed within a ring and served by conductors and a battery source. U.S. Pat. No. 4,977,677 utilizes a battery powered diode to illuminate the reticle of a sight within a ring.
The utilization of artificial power sources for hunting sights is now banned by several states, thus excluding in those states sights utilizing a battery. Accordingly it becomes desirable that the sight pin or pins have excellent light absorbing or collecting characteristics as well as light transmitting and re-emitting capabilities to provide a large proportion of the light collected to a properly illuminated sight bead. Accordingly it is desirable that the sight pin be able to collect adequate light and to transmit same to a bead of reduced size so that the associated sight structure does not interfere with the sight picture presented the shooter. A further objective is a sight particularly for use on hunting bows that can withstand accidental contact with twigs and branches.